Throwing rocks
by misseliza87
Summary: Set after episode 4x16. I loved how Nick took care of Jess... This is how I imagine (or wish) things turning out for the two of them. A little romance, fluff and friendship. Second and final chapter up now! AN: I do not own New Girl.
1. Chapter 1

NESS

Nick held the small rock in his hand and sighed.

He didn't believe in these kinds of things. Throwing a rock into a lake and wishing his crush would love him forever? Nah. That's stupid.

But this was a group thing, they all did it for Jess. He did it for Jess. He couldn't let her down.  
Even if it was throwing a stupid rock into a stupid lake just to see her somewhat happy.  
Who would he wish for anyway? There weren't exactly new girls lining up in his life after his latest break-up just before Valentines Day.  
He closed his eyes and the second he let go of that rock he could see it. Her face. Her smile. Her big round eyes under her shiny dark bangs.

Dammit.

The next day they arrived back at the loft, Schmidt left to go see his girlfriend, Nick had to go to work and Winston and Coach had decided to go watch a game.  
And Jess did what she always did. She grabbed all the unhealthy sweet food she could find, made herself a tea and sat on the couch for a nice round of Dirty Dancing.  
She sang along, as always, but it wasn't the same. She couldn't concentrate.  
Ryan had let her down. Fine, she had been kind of okay with him going to England, but also she kind of hadn't. He should have known that. And he should have made sure to be there for her on her father's wedding day.  
She deserved someone who would be there if she needed him. Someone who cared. She could still hear Nick's voice in her head. He always knew what to say... almost.  
Noone could comfort her like he did. Even when she was a total mess, Nick found a way to make her smile again, to make the bad thoughts go away.

Jess didn't know why she felt tears welling up in her eyes and a burning lump forming in her throat, but she knew she needed comfort. Now.  
After three failed attempts to call Cece and another nine unanswered text messages Jess gave up.  
What would normal people do? Sighing she got up and walked to the kitchen, getting two bottles of Rosé and a wine glass.  
Half an hour and half a bottle later she still didn't feel any better. She felt cold.  
Nick would be home soon. Then she'd have someone to talk to, she thought, downing a freshly poured glass of wine in one big gulp.

Already feeling a little tipsy Jess got up to look for something warm to put on, something to comfort her.

Nick was tired. The bar had been busy and his shift had been stressful. Coach and Winston had stopped by for a couple of drinks after their game and had then proceeded to wander off with a group of college girls to go to some fancy underground club.  
He just wanted to sleep. Stopping in front of the apartment door he sighed. Music.

Music coming from within the apartment. And not just any music, no, Nick knew this song by heart because throughout the past three and a half years he was forced to hear it hundreds of times.  
He shook his head. Of course, Jess was going through a break-up. This was her thing.  
Expecting to see his female roommate crying and singing in front of the TV he turned the doorknob and walked into the loft.

No singing. No crying. Just two empty bottles of wine, an almost empty glass, and a soundly sleeping form on the couch.  
Nick stopped and looked at her. Was she wearing his red hoodie jacket? And how could she be sleeping when the damn TV was so annoyingly loud?  
Thinking she looked too peaceful for him to wake her just yet, Nick went to grab a cold Heisler from the fridge and sat down on the brown leather sofa, just next to her head.  
Just a few minutes later he found himself merrily humming along to hungry eyes when he felt Jess begin to stir next to him. She raised her head, looking at him through sleepy eyes.  
„I'm happy you're home, Miller." she said drunkenly, then stretched a little just before curling up into a small Jess-ball again. This time putting her head in his lap and going back to sleep.

Nick sat there frozen, not daring to move. This wasn't good. This wasn't good at all.

His heart had started playing pong in his chest and he closed his eyes tightly as if that would get him out of the situation.

It was not that he felt uncomfortable, quite the contrary. He had never felt better, happier or more comfortable with any other woman. But this wasn't good.  
He caught himself wanting to stroke her hair but quickly pulled his hand back, biting hard into his knuckles and then holding his mouth shut so he wouldn't cry from pain.  
Throughout the rest of the movie he kept very still, then qiuetly turned off the TV.  
„Jess," he whispered softly. „Jess." He held her head so it wouldn't fall on the couch when he got up.  
„I'm gonna get you to bed now, okay?" She made a little noise, probably in agreement, and in one swift motion Nick scooped her up from the sofa and into his arms, starting toward her room.

Jess had put her arms around his neck and her head resting on his shoulder when Nick arrived in her room. He remembered carrying her to bed like this before and smiled to himself.  
He put one knee on the edge of her bed to softly put her down, then proceeded to put the blanket over her small body and turned to leave the room when he heard her groggy voice.  
„Don'go." Pong. In his chest. Again.

„Jess, I don't think..."  
„Pleastay." He sighed. Who was he to argue with a drunken, half-sleeping Jess. He would stay until she was completely asleep again and then go back to his room.

He walked to the other side of her bed and slid under the covers.  
„Thangyou" she said yawning, then turned around putting her arm over his chest and nuzzling her face in his neck. „My Nick..."  
Dammit.

Jess awoke with a splitting headache, but despite that, she felt comfortable and warm.  
Not quite sure about her actual surrounding she tried to remember the previous night.  
There was Dirty Dancing. And wine. And Nick.  
She opened her eyes in shock, realizing her head was resting on someone's chest.  
That someone was snoring lightly, holding her to him with his left arm.  
Then she remembered. Turning her head to look at him she couldn't help but smile.

He had carried her to bed, he had stayed with her when she had asked him. He had taken care of her. He was always there when she needed him.

Before Jess knew what she was doing she had pushed herself up a few inches, placing a soft kiss on his stubbly cheek, then resumed her previous position, not wanting the moment to end just yet. 


	2. Chapter 2

AN: So I have decided to write a second (and final) chapter. It's short, but I hope you guys like it. :)

Chapter 2 – Awkwardness and a confession

Jess had fallen asleep again, at Nick's side, and somehow her leg had wedged itself in between his and her face had become awfully close to his cheek. So close that he could feel every single breath on his neck.  
Nick on the other hand had been awake for quite a while now, but didn't dare to move.  
It was that sort of position you shouldn't find yourself in with a friend, because it made you feel funny things. The fact that her leg had almost moved up to his „crotch area" didn't help.  
He would need a long cold shower after this.  
A deep sigh escaped his lips and he regretted it immediately when he felt Jess begin to stir against his body.  
„Ahh..." Nick tried to stifle his moan.  
Jess moved against him some more but then finally turned on her back to stretch.

Nick kept watching her from his side of the bed, dreading the confrontation.  
When Jess finally looked back at him he panicked, kicking into full Miller-mode.  
"Nothing happened." he said way too loudly.

"I know." she answered quietly.  
"I need to pee." With that he got up and left the room quickly, heading for the bathroom and almost knocked over Winston in the process.

"Morning." Winston greeted cheerily.  
"Mornnnng." Nick replied shortly, rushing by his friend.

"Nicholas Miller." he could hear Winston's judgmental voice from behind him. "What is going on?"  
"I... I... nothing." The high pitched voice gave away he wasn't telling the truth.  
"Don't 'nothing' me Miller. I have known you my whole life and I know when something's off."  
The roommate argued in his deep dramatic voice.

Nick shook his head. There was no way of lying to Winston.  
"Look... I slept in Jess' room last night..."  
"Excuse me?"  
"It's not what you think it is. She was watching Dirty Dancing last night and got horribly drunk, so I had to carry her to her room... and she asked me to stay..." he trailed off.  
"Uh-huh..." Winnie nodded his head.  
"It was nothing, really. Just a friend helping another friend out..."  
"Yeah. Keep telling yourself that." And with that Winston Bishop left the room.  
A cold shower. Yes. That would help.

After Nick had left, Jess felt somewhat irritated.  
Nick Miller acting weird was nothing new to her, but something was different now. A slight shift in their post-relationship friendship.  
Looking at the clock she realized that she would be late for work, so she got up quickly, grabbing her clothes and ran to the bathroom. There she found Nick, a towel wrapped around his hips, brushing his teeth.  
"Hey Miller." she greeted, standing at the sink next to him. He just nodded and kept staring at his image in the mirror. Why was he acting so awkward all of a sudden?  
"Listen Nick... I'm sorry for last night. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable" Jess said softly.  
"Me? Uncom... why would I... you know... but... ah nevermind." he rambled, rinsing out his mouth and hurriedly leaving the room, leaving behind a clueless Jess.

Nick had decided to go to work early that night to keep himself busy.  
He shouldn't have slept in her room last night. It had made things weird and he needed things to be simple.  
He felt his phone vibrate in his pocket and decided to just ignore it, so he proceeded to pour shots for the group of middle-aged businessmen at the bar, and then one for himself.  
But his phone kept buzzing a few more times until he decided to just turn it off without looking at it.  
People should deal with their own problems for once.  
He had problems of his own... like not getting the smell of Jess' shampoo out of his nose or still feeling the weight of her head on his chest or... No, bad thoughts. A few more shots with his new friends at the bar. That would help.  
A few hours later the last person had left, leaving Nick alone to clean up and count the money in the register.  
He really hoped Jess would already be in bed when he came home.

"Where have you been?" he heard her familiar voice from the direction of the bar's entrance.  
Dammit.  
"Jess, uhm. What are you doing here? I was just about to close and..."  
"I wanted to talk to you, but you didn't respond to my text, and then I tried to call but it kept going straight to voice mail and I was worried." she admitted quietly.  
"Well, I don't think there's much to talk about." he answered harshly, keeping his focus on putting away the clean shot glasses.  
"God, Miller. Why are you so angry at me?" Jess half-yelled, making her way around the bar, so Nick had to face her.  
"Why can't you just let it go? Give a man some space, Jessica!" Nick yelled back, taking a step towards Jess.  
"And what the fork did I do to you, Nicholas, that you need more space?" she asked angrily, standing on her toes so her eyes were level with his.  
Nick sighed. She was so close and so angry, and he was angry, and for a moment he thought he had seen a little spark in her eyes. The spark that told him that she was secretly enjoying their little fight, that told him she still liked him as more than just a friend.  
"You're being you, Jess." he finally admitted. "And it's killing me." Nick took a step back, waiting for her reaction to his confession.  
Silence. It wasn't often that Jessica Day was at a loss of words but here she was, not knowing what to say. She blinked her eyes a few times.  
"So... what you're saying is..." she began slowly, until Nick interrupted her.  
"I'm saying that I'm still in love with you Jess. Maybe more than ever. And I can't live without you. It physically hurts to have you so close but to not actually HAVE you." he spoke softly, silently cursing himself for every word, but still closing the gap between them until they were only inches apart. He also noticed she hadn't backed away from him.  
"Nick I..." For the second time in the past two minutes, Jess didn't know what to say and she wasn't quite sure if she knew how breathing worked either, because getting air into her lungs had become really difficult all of a sudden.  
"I love you Jessica Day. And I think the two of us breaking up was the dumbest mistake of our lives because all I want is to spend the rest of mine with you. And I want to be there for you whenever you need me and hold you in my arms every night..., even if we have to move to Portland and live by the lake." There. It was all out and Nick felt good about it. At least until he realized that Jess was frozen to the spot and he felt the stabbing pain of fear and panic in his chest.  
He put his hands on her shoulders, shaking her softly while lowering his head to look into her eyes.  
"Jess, would you please say something?"  
"Shut up and kiss me, Miller." Jess finally said under a shaky breath while closing the gap between them for a tender long kiss.

"So the rest of our lives, huh?" Jess mocked him as they both left the bar holding hands.  
"Yeah." Nick answered as the door fell shut behind them.


End file.
